We’re in the Video Copywriting and Production Business. That’s Right I Said ‘We’

After seeing the broken mess my website became on a mobile screen, I decided it was time for a revamp. Courtesy of themeforest.net, the www.copywriterscrucible.com is now ‘on trend’ in long form sales page format and categorically mobile friendly. I’ve also pulled the trigger in officially welcoming Danielle Auld (copywriter) and Mike Erwood (graphic and web design) to the team. So along with a rise in copywriting output, The Copywriter’s Crucible now offers brochure design and website development to boot.

Yet another update I’d like to share is the addition of video copywriting to my our service portfolio. It seemed the sensible thing to do with video due to dominate online marketing in the years ahead and Google kindly boosting me to page one for the aforementioned key phrase.

Along with developing storyboard ideas and writing the script, we provide full video production. This can either be in the format of doodle animation, which we can do cost effectively in-house, or we can offer fully animated videos by bringing some previous partners of mine onboard. Below is an example of a doodle video I put together for YouTube. I think Scorsese can rest easy, but it at least gives you an indication of what can be achieved.

I also have a book on starting a copywriting business in the works, but I think that’s enough updates for now.

Does your website generate enough leads? Or does it scare off visitors like the plague? If it’s the latter, it could be because your website’s copywriting isn’t engaging enough. There are a lot of badly written websites out there.

Too often they’re confusing, difficult to read or just plain dull. The reason for this is because of the strange transformation people undergo when writing about their business. Instead of writing like a human, they turn into a robot, rattling out tired marketing clichés and corporate jargon which they think sounds impressive.

But visitors to your website are living breathing people. Not fax machines. Your website should address them in a language they understand and relate to if it’s going to maintain their interest and generate leads for your business.

Here are eight website copywriting tips for scrapping robot speak and communicating like a living breathing human being:

Sympathise with the visitor’s problem – People search online for solutions to their problems. Not a shallow sales pitch. Hype and exaggerated claims don’t play well with today’s cynical consumer fed up with being oversold to. Instead, your website should address their problem in an ethical and level headed manner that builds trust in what you have to say.

Choose words to communicate, rather than to impress – Flowery language, clever wordplay and knowing how to use a thesaurus is not good sales writing. Instead, focus on delivering a pitch that mirrors how you’d sell face to face. Use simple, straightforward language if you want to communicate clearly and in a way people understand. Nobody visited your website looking for the next Hemingway.

Differentiate yourself – When browsing your website, visitors are comparing it to that of your competitors. So it’s vital to make your product stand out through your website’s copywriting. You could do this by highlighting your product’s unique features, discussing what it does in more detail or expressing yourself with more flair, passion and creativity than the corporate drones you’re competing against.

Appeal to the personality type of your visitor – B2B buyers want the bottom line, engineer types want the technical specs while everyday consumers respond well to an uplifting story. Your website should appeal to your target customer’s personality type and deliver a pitch focused on the presenting the information they want to know.

Sell the hole, not the drill – Visitors want to know how your product will improve their lives, not how many speed settings it has. So it’s wise to convert cold features into emotion triggering benefits. Explain how the product will give them more time to spend on the things enjoy, how it will remove a frustration in their life or help them perform better in their jobs. Don’t sell them the drill but the hole in the wall for hanging their favourite picture.

Present a logical path of thought – Your website’s copywriting should take visitors from curious to enlightened. Whether you achieve this with a single page or by nudging them through your website, your copywriting should have a logical structure that addresses objections and convinces with an enticing list of reasons to buy.

Edit voraciously – Great copywriting doesn’t happen by magic. It emerges from meticulous editing. Replace long words and sentences with punchy, snappier versions. Keep paragraphs to three lines with each focused on a single idea. Weld an axe to verbosity and unnecessary flab, then sculpt your copy with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel.

Read it out loud – When you think your website copywriting is ready to go, walk away from the keyboard. Allow your brain a day to refresh before you go back for another look. As a final check, read it out loud. Does it sound human? Does it flow with rhythm and pace? If not, keep massaging your writing until it projects a persuasive voice into your reader’s mind.

Following these steps will help you to create a website that’s more customer focused, more persuasive and more likely to generate sales. Remember that visitors are human beings, and not just numbers in your analytics software. Address them with clichés and robot speak and you might as well wave them goodbye the moment they arrive. But communicate as you would in the real world and you’ll keep them engaged with your website longer and you can watch your conversions rise as a result.

For more tips on how to make your websites, brochures and marketing campaigns more customer focused and effective visit the copywriterscrucible.com – a melting pot of punchy, persuasive copywriting.